Moe gives Shakespeare a contemporary look

by Laurie Pfeifer

DawnMarie Moe doesn’t like to take a lot of credit for the way her young actors are melding into their roles, acing their lines or interacting with one another in preparation for their FAMFest production -- a contemporary version of  Romeo and Juliet.

“The kids, and the adults, are doing great because they understand (Romeo and Juliet). There’s not one actor who isn’t outstanding,” she said.

That’s high praise from a woman who has been a professional actress for much of her life.

And despite what she says, the kids and adults “get it” that Romeo and Juliet is about humans -- bitter fights, sweet love, the things that happen in real life -- because she’s opened their eyes to it.

Moe has a deep, personal connection to the Shakespeare play that dates back to the ninth grade. She and her classmates were required to read Romeo and Juliet out loud in class at Aurora and she got to be Juliet.

 For complete story see this week's issue of the Aurora News-Register.